Culture Connoisseur: Sleater-Kinney’s “No Cities To Love”

I’ll admit that the only reason I know about Sleater-Kinney is because of Portlandia. Carrie Brownstein is just so damn rad that I had to do some research, and that brought me to the riot grrrl band. Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, the band was highly influential in their scene and managed to go mainstream. Last week, they released a new album that received a lot of hype and acclaim. I bought “No Cities To Love” on Saturday afternoon, and let me tell you, it’s pretty fantastic.

I think what I love most about “No Cities To Love” is that it is raw, abrasive and in your face, while still being highly self-conscious and lyrically beautiful. I’ve listened to it front-to-back again and again, and I’ve gained so much respect for the the 3-piece band. The only other contemporary girl band I can think of who has done that for me is HAIM, whose lyrics aren’t overall as deep as Sleater-Kinney, but approaches the idea of being a woman and having Real Feelings in the same way.

Sometimes you just need something to rock out to, and “No Cities To Love” definitely fulfills that for me. My favorites from the 10-track album are “Price Tag,” “Fangless,” “Surface Envy,” “No Anthems” and “Bury Our Friends.” Enjoy.